Texas State Senator Calls Rick Perry a ‘Hypocritical’ Conservative

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Texas Democratic state Senator Wendy Davis, the leader in the fight against significant new restrictions on abortions, accuses Republican Gov. Rick Perry and other conservatives of being hypocritical when they claim to support smaller government but actually try to increase state intrusion in people’s lives.

In an interview on ABC's This Week that aired Sunday, Davis vowed to fight when the legislature returns on Monday for a second special session ordered by Perry. The governor remains determined to pass a law that will outlaw abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, along with cutting back available clinics for the procedure to about 10 percent of what exists now.

Davis, who almost single-handedly overcame and outlasted the Republican majority in the state Senate last week, says Perry is "awfully fond of talking the talk of small government. But this [anti-abortion legislation] is big government intrusion, there is no question about it."

Talking about the filibuster that propelled her to fame in Democratic circles in Texas and across the nation, Davis talked about wearing running shoes that have since become an Amazon best-seller, and a catheter that allowed her to avoid bathroom breaks.

Davis said she was heartened by the outpouring of support from women and Democrats, which catapulted her from local legislator to one of her party’s prospective rising stars. However, she played coy when asked if she would seek the Democratic nomination for governor.